From cute cats to plants and flowers to scenes of Chattanooga, the drawings found in Konstantin Chinkov's "Wondering Watercolor" books are the kinds of drawings that make you want to be able to draw.
As someone who lacks artistic abilities, I was excited to try my hand at watercolor painting on Chinkov's charming prints using his easy-to-follow video tutorials. While I can't say that my first attempts were worthy of anyone's eyes but my own, after a few pages, I started to get the hang of it and took pride in the noticeable improvement in my technique that resulted from simply following his instructions and sticking with it.
The books were inspired by Chinkov's nephew, who, when he was around 6 years old, would ask Chinkov to draw things that he could paint on because he — similar to my adult self — wanted to paint something drawn by someone with skill in order to produce a more satisfying and presentable finished product.
"He kept asking me to draw stuff, and eventually, I just made him a little book and gave it to him," he says. "But then his friends and classmates wanted the book, so it was kind of a lightbulb moment, and I thought, 'I think I could make something out of this.'"
Since his nephew lives in Alabama, Chinkov started making videos so he could paint with him when they weren't together. Other people saw and liked the videos, encouraging him to create video tutorials for the people who buy his books.
Chinkov spent about a year figuring out the best way to make the watercolor books, experimenting with paper of varied sizes and weights as well as different types of printing to keep the drawings from smudging when painted with watercolor. He eventually settled on lithographs using oil-based ink, which allowed him to print complex drawings with precise lines that wouldn't smear when wet.
Some people become frustrated when first learning to paint with watercolor, thinking the problem is with their ability, but in many cases, the problem is the quality of the paper they are using, he says.
"I've managed to find a really good balance of the paper and the pigment and the ink that I use, and it seems to be working really well and people are enjoying it," Chinkov says.
Chinkov finds that children as young as 4 or 5 are fascinated by the mixing of colors, and as they get a little older, they can focus more on technique. His watercolor books range in difficulty from the more simplistic cute cat- and dog-themed books to the more complicated scenery books, which he recommends for ages 13 and older.
He started with a book of scenery from Europe — based on sketches he completed during his travels — and in response to feedback, he's added other themed books, such as Chattanooga scenery. Other requests include a book focused on marine life, and Rock City asked him to create a book featuring scenes from the Lookout Mountain attraction. He's currently in the process of creating a complete beginner's guide to watercolor painting.
The books include watercolor paints and a brush, and they have a stiff backing that allows you to use them anywhere without having to find a sturdy surface. You can use the book alone and continue to hone your technique, share the book with a date (there's even a date night-themed book) or pass out pages to a group of friends as a fun way to spend time with others.
Chinkov says he and his wife like to host painting parties, and he and a friend also started a plein-air painting group in which they paint in local parks and ask strangers to join them.
"I've always enjoyed just sitting down and painting with people," he says, adding that painting doesn't cause people to get competitive like they do with games. "It's almost like a different mode of thinking. It gives you a break from everyday life, and you also have something that you can give to someone."
One of his customers, a grandmother, buys books from him nearly every month and passes the pages out to her grandchildren so they can paint together, and she also paints pages herself that she mails to her grandchildren who live out of town, he says.
"I thought that was just really sweet," Chinkov says. "Because it's affordable, you can always just share, and that's kind of the idea."
Chinkov says he soon plans to expand his home-based business into the Hamilton County Small Business Development Center, where he'll also be making his own watercolor paints with high-quality pigments.
The books are available on his website at wonderingwatercolor.com, at the Chattanooga Market and in local stores such as Winder Binder.